Opinion - International Research Journal of Biochemistry and Bioinformatics ( 2021) Volume 11, Issue 5
Received: 08-Dec-2021 Published: 29-Dec-2021
A lipid is a molecule that is insoluble in water but soluble in alcohol, ether, and chloroform in chemical terms. Lipids are essential components of all living organisms. Lipids, together with carbohydrates and proteins, are the most important components of plant and animal cells. Lipids include cholesterol and triglycerides. Lipids are easily absorbed by the body and stored. They serve as a source of energy and are an essential component of cell structure. Fatty acids, neutral fats, waxes, and steroids are all lipids (like cortisone). Lipoproteins, glycolipids, and phospholipids are examples of compound lipids (lipids that are complexes with another type of chemical component).lipids are a complex category of chemical molecules that include fats, oils, hormones, and certain membrane components that are grouped together because they have little interaction with water. Cholesterol is a naturally occurring chemical produced by the human body. The liver produces the majority of the cholesterol in our bloodstream (75%), with the remaining 25% coming from the foods we eat. Although we all know that high blood cholesterol is bad for your health, the appropriate levels of cholesterol are necessary for maintaining cell membranes and manufacturing hormones. The triglycerides are a form of lipid that is stored as fat in adipose cells and which serve as the energy-storage depot for organisms and also provide thermal insulation. Some lipids, such as steroid hormones, act as chemical messengers between cells, tissues, and organs, while others transmit information between biochemical processes within a single cell. Fatty acids are rarely found in nature as free molecules, but they are common components of many complex lipid molecules such as fats (energy-storing substances) and phospholipids (the primary lipid components of cellular membranes).
Physical and chemical properties
Pure fatty acids crystallize as stacked layers of molecules, each layer being the thickness of two extended molecules. The hydrophobic (water-hating) hydrocarbon chains constitute the layer's core, while the hydrophilic (water-loving) carboxylic acid groups form the layer's two faces.
The intricacies of molecular packing for a particular fatty acid might alter, resulting in polymorphs, or various crystal shapes. Saturated fatty acids of biological importance have melting temperatures exceeding 27°C (81°F) and climb as the hydrocarbon chain length increases. Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated molecules melt at far lower temperatures than their saturated counterparts, with the lowest melting temperatures occurring when the carbon-carbon double bonds are close to the hydrocarbon chain's centre, as they are in most biological molecules. As a result, at normal temperature, these molecules condense into viscous liquids.
The acidic carboxyl group is the most chemically reactive part of fatty acids (COOH). It combines with alcohols (R′OH) to create esters (RCOOR′) and releases water as a result of the reaction. The main covalent linkage that connects fatty acid moieties to other groups is the ester bond. Unless carbon-carbon double bonds are present, the hydrocarbon component of a fatty acid molecule is very resistant to chemical assault. A double bond can be used to react with a variety of compounds.
Function
Lipids are made directly from fats in the diet or are created in other ways. In the body, there are multiple metabolic routes that break down and produce lipids. Lipids' principal biological activities include energy storage, as they may be broken down to provide significant amounts of energy. Lipids also serve as structural elements of cell membranes and as messengers and signalling molecules throughout the body.